The present invention relates to a linear drive module to be built onto a rotary drive, so that a rotary/linear movement of a shaft can be generated. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a rotary/linear drive with a linear drive module of this type.
For a drive, in particular for lift-and-pivot drives in the handling sector, for example for grabs (pick and place), or similar applications, it is necessary to execute a rotary and a linear movement on the output shaft. These movements must be capable of being generated independently of one another, but also so as to be superposed.
A rotary and linear movement of an output shaft has hitherto been implemented using a lift-and-pivot gear and two standard motors. One example of such a drive is illustrated in FIG. 1. A lift-and-pivot gear 1 is driven, on the one hand, by a servomotor 2 for the lift axis and, on the other hand, by a servomotor 3 for the axis of rotation. One of the two servomotors therefore serves for generating the rotary movement and the other for generating the linear movement. On using the gear 1, the combined rotary/linear movement can then be generated, which the output shaft 4 executes. A drive according to the form of construction of FIG. 1 is known, for example, from the company Schwaben Prazision. The disadvantage of this form of construction, however, is the relatively costly lift-and-pivot gear 1.
The dissertation by Do Quoc Chinh, “Elektromechanische Antriebselemente zur Erzeugung kombinierter Dreh- und SchubBewegungen für die Gerätetechnik” [“Electromechanical drive elements for generating combined rotary and translational movements for technical equipment”], TU Dresden, Faculty of Electrotechnics, 1987, pages 31 to 33, discloses combinations of drive units. Here, the object is to couple two separate drive elements for rotary and translational movements to one another by means of mechanical elements. Such couplings mostly have to satisfy very stringent requirements with regard to high dynamics, good movement transmission and high reliability. Rectilinear sliding joints, clutches or gearwheel mechanisms can be used as coupling elements. In concrete terms, for example, a series arrangement and a parallel arrangement, each with a translational and rotary drive fixed to the frame, are presented.